


Remembered

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-07 01:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10349565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: Spoilers: Solitudes, The Fifth RaceSG1 meet an old healerSequel toForgotten





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

Remembered

##  Remembered 

##### Written by Tanya   
Comments? Write to us at ptkrogfo@silk.net

  


 

The team entered the gateroom with a sigh of relief. While the return trip from the temple had been uneventful, it had been somewhat strained. Worry and fatigue had taken their toll on everyone, and Jack had been particularly subdued. He appeared lost in thought whenever spoken to, and the team decided to give him space, knowing that he was most likely still in shock over his miraculous healing. 

The General and Dr. Frasier greeted them as they emerged through the ring. Jack led the team as they walked down the length of the ramp, and came to a stop in front of their CO. Hammond gave them a quick once over, and was pleasantly surprised to see them in one piece, given the fact that they had no communication with the team for the last 48 hours, the same length of time that the team was overdue. 

Janet was quick to notice the exhaustion on three faces of the team, plus the worried expressions pasted there as well. Without asking, she knew that there was an interesting story that the team had to tell. She just hoped that she would be a party to it’s telling. She also noticed the blank look in the Colonel’s eyes. She had seen many things there in the past, but this was not one of them. Looking at him more carefully, she took in the bloodstained tear on his thigh, although he didn’t appear injured. With that in mind, she decided that her routine post-mission check would be a little more thorough. 

Jack gave the expected salute. "Hi General. We’re here, and in one piece. We had an……interesting time". Jack frowned as he heard a subdued snort coming from one of his team members. He made a mental note to find out who it was later.

"Good to see you back Colonel. I want you all in the infirmary for a check, then we’ll meet for debriefing. Dismissed". The General returned the salute of Sam and Jack, then headed for the door.

"You heard the man", Jack said. "Let’s go". With that he swept his arm around to Janet. "Lead the way Doc".

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````

 

Ten minutes later, Sam Jack and Daniel were in hospital gowns in three different exam rooms. Janet had already excused Teal’c, with his assurances that he was fine. Sensing that there was something going on that she needed to know, Janet decided to check Sam first. It took only minutes to discover that the only physical thing that needed dealing with was fatigue. Walking some forty miles in only a few days was tiring. Janet’s prescription…….rest, on the magnitude of a couple of days, which for any member of the SGC was an unheard of boon.

"All right, spill it", Janet directed at Sam.

"I’m not sure where to start. The planet was nice. Really peaceful and relaxing. We split into teams. Teal’c and I, Jack and Daniel. Daniel called us after we experienced a small earthquake. Jack was injured". Janet listened intently. Sam continued. " We finally met up with them after a couple of days. They were in an abandoned temple. It turns out a Tok’ra had been there, and she was a healer. The technology had been left behind, and it healed Jack. Strange though. He hasn’t been acting quite like himself since".

"How badly was he hurt?" Janet asked.

"It was bad Janet. He died" Sam’s voice was quiet, but the word’s rang loudly in the room.

"What! Sam, he looks fine. What exactly happened. I need to know so I can run a more thorough check on him. You know Jack, he’ll just tell me he cut himself shaving and let it go at that". Janet was worried. She had seen the look on Jack’s face, and now she knew that there were details that needed telling.

"Well, for a start, he had a nasty cut on his temple. We think he may have suffered a concussion. He had a couple of broken ribs, and a compound fracture of his right femur". Sam had been carefully studying her hands as she said this, but now she looked up. "He developed an infection in his leg. It was a really bad break Janet. A high fever set in. He was unconscious off and on. When Teal’c and I caught up with them, he woke up, looked at us, then died".

The sadness of the memory cut through Janet like a knife. "What happened then?" she had to ask.

Sam got a distant look on her face as she remembered. " This healing device we found became active. It partially healed the Colonel".

"Partially?" Janet interrupted. "He looks pretty okay to me".

"It brought him back to life, but it only started to heal him, then it stopped. He was going downhill again by the time we figured out how to get it to work. The second time, it healed him all the way". Sam chewed nervously on her lip as she waited for Janet’s reaction. 

"Thanks for telling me. You go and get some rest. I’m going to request that the General delay the debriefing for a while. It’s clear that all of you are exhausted. We’ll talk about this more later".

As Sam left, Janet went to check on Daniel. She heard the same story from him, and sent him on his way with the same orders for rest. Next she checked on Jack. As she entered the examination room, she noted his expression. His face was blank, as it had been in the gateroom. His eyes were distant, as though he was seeing something else. He didn’t appear to know she was there. 

"So Colonel, how are you feeling?" Jack turned to her, but didn’t answer.

"I am told, that you were badly hurt on that planet, and that you were healed by some device. Mind if I check for myself?" Janet pulled an exam tray close to her and slipped on some gloves that lay at the ready. 

Her movements brought Jack back out of his daze. "Sorry Doc, I guess I must be a little tired’. The look on Jack’s face didn’t match his statement, but Janet decided to let that pass for the moment.

She checked his pupil reaction with her penlight. They seemed the slightest bit slow to her. She wasn’t overly concerned but wrote it down anyway. His vitals were all normal and his lungs sounded fine. She drew some blood for testing, then turned and faced him. "Colonel, I understand that you don’t like all this fuss, but I have to do it anyway. Now, I see no signs of the injuries that you received on the planet, but I would like to do a series of x-rays and an MRI just to be sure. After that, I will tell you the same as the others. I want you resting. It has obviously been a long, tiring mission for all of you. The General will debrief you when you are all back from leave. You have 48hours.

Several hours later, after Janet had her fill of tests performed, Jack finally got to leave. He had thought to leave the base and go home, but as he walked past his office, he stopped. As the light above him flickered Jack felt an overwhelming fatigue. He could feel all the energy drain from his body, and staying on his feet suddenly became an ordeal. The images in the hall stretched and distorted as his vision started to swim. Putting out a hand to the wall to steady himself, he was surprised to find that it didn’t connect with anything. He stumbled, and fought to get his bearings. Voices rang out at him, but he couldn’t make sense of them. Jack finally realised that a pressure he was feeling on his shoulder was actually the hand of someone. As he turned to look to see who it was, his vision slipped away, and the world went dark.

````````````````````````````````````````````

Daniel had driven Carter home on his way to his own place. He walked her to the door to say good-night. They had both had a rather emotional week, and were feeling awkward about parting. Sam turned to Daniel and invited him in for a coffee. Neither felt like sleeping, despite their fatigue. They had just sat down, and were trying to figure out how to start talking about their experience when the phone rang. Sam debated about not answering it, but habit won out and she grabbed it. "Janet……..what’s wrong?" She listened intently for a moment. "No, that’s okay. Daniel’s here already. I’ll tell him. We’ll leave for the base now". Sam turned to Daniel with a worried expression as she hung up. "That was Janet. Something has happened to Jack. He’s unconscious in the infirmary. She wants us back in case we brought something back with us. Daniel, what’s going on? Do you think it could be that healing device. Jack hasn’t seemed himself since".

"I don’t know Sam. Maybe by the time we get there, Janet will have some answers. It’s probably just a reaction to everything that’s happened". With that the two friends grabbed their coats and left. As the door closed, two steaming cups of coffee sat waiting on the table. 

Teal’c and the General were already in Janet’s office when Sam and Daniel arrived. As they took a seat, the door opened and Janet was passed a chart. "These are the Colonels test results", she said, flipping through the different pages. Several times she paused and reread what was written. "These confirm the injuries that you described. It also shows a hairline skull fracture. I don’t understand. The leg and the ribs were all completely healed, but his skull is not. His MRI shows some readings I’m not happy with, and his bloodwork is off. Not seriously, but enough to make me wonder what’s going on".

The General leaned forward. "So what does all that mean Dr. Frasier. Is he okay? Could that device have harmed him in any way, or does he represent a threat to us?"

"General, I wish I could give you those answers. I would need to see this device to better understand what has happened. As to his health, he seemed fine. A little out of it, but given what happened to him, that is to be expected. In fact, the skull fracture comes as a complete surprise to me, given how lucid he was before this happened". Janet was about to add more, when a nurse knocked lightly on her door. 

"Dr. Frasier", the nurse was new and looked nervous when she saw the company in the doctor’s office. "You told me to let you know when Colonel O’Neill woke up".

Janet dismissed the nurse then rose to check her patient. Jack lay in bed with a pulse/ox monitor on his left index finger, and an IV in the back of the same hand. An EKG beeped steadily behind him. He was also sporting a rather unhappy look.

"So Colonel…….how do you feel?" Janet smiled when the expected retort came.

"Just peachy. What the heck am I doing back here. I’ve done far too much lying around lately as it is", he grumbled.

"Don’t you remember what happened Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Nope. Don’t remember a thing" came the reply that sent them all back to another time. 

"Colonel, you passed out outside of your office. The Sergeant who tried to help you said you were speaking some strange words. When he tried to get you to repeat them, you just blacked out". Janet was watching Jack’s face to get a sense of how much he was understanding. He seemed fine. He was a little pale, but otherwise appeared okay. "How’s your head Colonel. Do you have a headache at all? Any dizziness?"

"Fine, nope, and nope. Can I get up now?"

Janet pulled out her penlight. "Let me check something here. She flashed the light in Jack’s eyes. Once again, they seemed a little slow, but nothing too worrisome. Then a thought came to her. "Teal’c, would you mind turning the lights down please. With that done, Janet turned back to Jack. Once again she checked Jack’s eyes with the light. This time however, the reaction was far more noticeable. Jack flinched and tried to shrink away from the light. A look of fear crossed his face, and he put his hands on either side of his head as if in pain. Alarmed Janet turned off the penlight, and Teal’c turned the main ones up again. Almost immediately, Jack relaxed and his face resumed a more normal expression. His hands dropped down again as if he didn’t even know that they had been there. "Jack, are you okay?"

Looking at Janet with a confused expression he answered slowly. "I just told you I’m fine. You didn’t answer me though. Can I go?" he asked. Looking around, he took in the expressions around him. "What?"

"When we turned the lights down, you reacted like you were in pain. Don’t you remember?" Daniel asked.

"When did that happen?" Jack questioned.

"Just now" Daniel replied. He looked at the others and saw they all wore the same stunned expression.

"Jack, humour me, and let me check your eyes again" Janet said.

"After that, can I go?" Jack asked, somewhat petulantly. 

General Hammond answered for her. "We’ll see son. Just let the doctor do her job".

Not really having a choice, Jack nodded. 

Once again, Teal’c lowered the lights. 

Nothing happened until Janet used her penlight. The same reaction happened, but this time Janet didn’t stop the experiment. Jack ‘s face screwed up in an expression of pain. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words that followed were not English. Daniel grabbed his ever present note-pad and pencil and started trying to write them down. The words gushed out of Jack’s mouth in a flood, while Daniel scribbled furiously. Suddenly the words stopped. Jack tried to close his eyes against the light. His hands clenched his head tighter, and he started to moan in pain. His breathing was coming faster and faster, and the EKG showed his heart was racing. Janet immediately shut off the light. As she watched, Jack’s eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped over, unconscious. Teal’c switched the lights on once again, and the stupefied group faced each other. 

"I want answers here Doctor. What the Hell is going on with him?" General Hammond was obviously shaken by what he had seen. 

"I’m working on it General. This is beyond anything I’ve dealt with before. Whatever is happening to him is triggered by light, and beyond that, I can’t say". Frustration showed plainly on Janet’s face. "I need to run some more tests. For now, I will sedate him. He is obviously exhausted. I will keep him here for observation".

"You do that Doctor. I also want a guard kept here 24hours a day until we know what we’re dealing with. Carry on". Hammond took one final look at the man on the bed, then left. 

"I wrote down as many of the words as I could" Daniel said. "I think I recognise some. Teal’c, do you understand any of this?"

Teal’c scanned the page. "I do Daniel Jackson. They appear to be written in the goa’uld tongue. They are however, more ancient than that which is currently used".

Daniel nodded. That confirmed what he thought. Excusing himself from the infirmary, he went to his office to attempt to translate.

Several hours later Sam, Teal’c Daniel and Janet found themselves seated around the conference table with General Hammond. His expression was one of someone who was getting to old to deal with Outer Limits kind of stuff. Heaving a great sigh, he started. "Alright, can anyone shed some light on what’s going on here, pardon the pun?"

Daniel jumped in first. "From the words that I’ve translated so far, it seems that we are somehow hearing the words of Tha’no’rine". 

"How is that possible Daniel. She is long dead. Even her symbiote is dead. How can Jack be channelling her words………unless you are suggesting that she is some sort of spirit, or ghost?" Sam’s face took on a frightened thought as she said that. Hearing Jolinar in her head had given her an uncomfortable, haunted feeling from time to time. 

"I’m not sure if ghost is the right word. All I know is that the language that Jack is speaking is not the native tongue of that planet. It is also not the tongue of the ancients that Jack once spoke. But let’s think about it. If the ancients had a device which could ‘download’ their knowledge into someone’s brain, then why couldn’t this Tok’ra have done something similar. Maybe the healing device did more that just fix his injuries. Maybe it ‘downloaded’ something of her into him".

"Let’s just say for arguments sake that you’re right. If that’s the case, what does she want, and what’s it doing to Jack? You could see for yourself that these episodes are harming him". Sam looked to Janet as she said this. She wanted the doctor to say that this wasn’t the case. She also knew that this would not be the answer she would get. 

Janet spoke up. "Sam’s right. We all saw that Jack was in pain, and that his body was reacting badly to this ‘episode’. What I don’t understand is why he doesn’t remember afterwards’. A thoughtful look crossed Janet’s face. "Unless that’s why the MRI was abnormal. Maybe there is some sort of memory block there".

Hammond looked at the doctor. He was having trouble dealing with the thought of ghosts haunting his best officer. Although, when he really thought about it, this was no stranger than some of the things that had already happened to his people. 

Janet continued, thinking aloud. "I wonder if that is why his skull fracture was not healed. Perhaps it enabled this exchange of information, if that’s what it is".

General Hammond stepped in now. "Going on the assumption for now, that you are right, what are we supposed to do?"

This time that answer came from Sam. "I don’t think that you are going to like this, but I think we need to expose Jack to the light again. Each episode seems to give us more information, and that is precisely what we need right now". Sam took note of the incredulous expressions around her. She knew only too well what she was suggesting. She had no more desire to hurt the Colonel than they did., and she had more than once been placed in the position of suggesting something like this. It had been at her recommendation that the Colonel had "died" while infected with the alien organism. "I don’t want to hurt him either, but without the knowledge that only he seems to hold, we are only grasping at straws here".

The General slowly nodded. "Much as I dislike this, the Major is right. We do need to find out what’s going on here. Dr. Frasier, is there anything you can do to minimise the risk to the Colonel?"

Janet paused before speaking. Worst case scenarios flashed before her and she struggled to clear her mind and concentrate on the problem at hand. "I think we should move him into the ICU just in case. If anything happens, we will have all the equipment there to deal with it". 

The General stood. "Okay people. I want you in the infirmary in 30 minutes". He saluted a dismissal. As the team filed out, he put out a hand to stop Daniel. As the archaeologist looked at him expectantly, he cleared his throat. "Dr. Jackson, I want to know what you think about all this".

Daniel pushed his glasses up and ran his fingers through his hair. "I think…..I think that if we are not careful, we may lose Jack. These episodes are dangerous, and I think they are caused by some sort of power struggle between him and the Goddess. You know Jack, he never gives up without a fight, and I think that in this case, it may just be the one he loses". Daniel turned slowly towards the door, stopping just at the exit. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and left the room.

Hammond watched his retreating figure. Softly he said aloud, to the empty room, "I hope that this is one time that your wrong Dr. Jackson".

````````````````````````````````

 

The team was gathered around Jack’s bed in the ICU. He had been briefed by Janet. She had explained not only what had happened so far, but also what they now needed to do. Much as he didn’t like the thought of once more sharing his head with something, Jack also didn’t like the idea of an audience if something went wrong. Recognising his fierce need for privacy, Janet asked the General if they couldn’t send just her in, and videotape the test. Hammond declined her request. Much as it pained him, he knew that he needed Jack’s team mates there. They all had such different insights, in different areas, and he needed their input here. He did agree however to removing the video camera, and using only a tape recorder. If the language was present again, he knew it needed to be recorded for future reference. 

Jack was more than uncomfortable with the situation. He knew why they needed to do this test, and he agreed with their rationale. It just galled him to be the subject of these experiments.

Janet approached the bed. She checked the leads on the EKG machine, and adjusted the flow of the IV drip. A quick glance around the room showed her that all requested equipment was in place. A sick feeling past through her as she thought about what they were going to do. The only redeeming part was the fact that Jack could seemingly not remember these episodes. "Okay Jack, you ready?"

Jack mumbled something softly under his breath. Janet was close enough to pick up a few words. Something about ‘side-show’, and ‘freak’. Aloud he answered, "as ready as I’ll ever be". He took a deep breath and steeled himself for the experience. 

Janet nodded at Daniel to start the tape. She then had Teal’c dim the lights for what she hoped would be the final time. Turning to Jack, she gave him a smile. "Here we go. Look at the light Jack". Turning on her penlight, she shone it into his brown eyes and waited for the expected reaction. It didn’t disappoint her. 

Almost immediately, his hands went to his head. The EKG showed a rapid increase in his heart rate, and his blood pressure started to skyrocket. Jack’s body began to shake. He started to speak, and once again the words were foreign. As the words spewed forth, the shaking increased. Janet turned to the General with an anguished look that pleaded with him to allow her to stop. The General shook his head. Stifling a sob, Janet turned back to witness the torture she was inflicting on her friend. 

Blood had started to trickle out of Jack’s nose, although the flow of words had still not ceased. Suddenly one of the monitors started to squeal and the words stopped. Jack started to convulse, then lay very still. 

"His heart’s stopped. Teal’c, push that cart over here". Janet grabbed the paddles, hit the power switch and cranked the dial to 200 joules. Working quickly, she put some gel on the paddles then positioned them on Jack’s chest. "Clear!"

Jack’s back arched as the shock hit him. Nothing. Janet changed the charge to 300 joules. "Clear". Again a shock, and again no response. Janet tried again at 360. This time she was rewarded by a faint pulse. Slowly his BP lowered to a more acceptable range, and his pulse grew stronger. Janet lowered herself into a nearby chair. The room was silent as the shocked team looked at the pale, unconscious form of their friend. For the third time in days, they had almost lost him.

It was Teal’c who finally broke the silence. "We can only hope that those words provide the key to this mystery. I do not think that we can try this again".

The words ‘you think’ hung in the air as everyone thought of the Colonel’s pet expression, but no-one had the heart to say it. 

Janet stayed in the infirmary with Jack. She was under strict orders from the General to keep them well informed of his condition. He and the rest of SG-1 gathered in his office. Daniel replayed the tape, and he and Teal’c wrote down all the words they could recognise. Sam and the General looked on, and tried to offer comments when asked. Hours passed. Progress was being made on the translation, when Hammond took a good look at his people. They were exhausted. He knew that their wish to help Jack was driving them, but they were hitting their breaking point. Finally he ordered them all to go to bed. He wanted them back in 12 hours, and no sooner. Grudgingly they all complied. 

At 1200 hours, they met back in the General’s office. This time Janet joined them with her report. "Jack hasn’t woken up yet. His vitals are stable, but his MRI shows more anomalies than before. He also suffered a cerebral haemorrhage, although I won’t be able to tell how much damage that caused until he wakes up. I can’t do anything more for him than we are already doing".

With obvious concern, Hammond asked "When do you expect he might wake up Dr. Frasier?"

Janet looked him squarely in the eye. "I am not even sure that he will wake General. I don’t know what it is that we did to him".

Each member of the team squirmed a little in their seats before returning to the task at hand. Daniel kept looking over a passage he had translated. Finally he turned to Teal’c. "What do you make of this?"

Teal’c studied the passage carefully, finally returning the paper to Daniel. "From what I can make out, it seems that this Goddess wants to be returned".

"That’s what I made out as well, but returned to what? To the planet she came from? To the one that she’s on?" Daniel drummed his fingers in frustration. 

"Maybe" Sam started, "Maybe she wants to go back to the crystal. This might have been an accident". 

Daniel looked at her in disbelief. "You think that she somehow transferred herself from the crystal, into Jack by mistake."

"I’m not sure. Maybe the disruption from the earthquake did it. I’m not sure how, or why. That could explain why this is so damaging to the Colonel, and why he looks so frightened when she emerges. She was never meant to be here". Sam turned to the General. "Sir, I think we need to take Colonel O’Neill back to the planet, or more specifically, to the device".

"If what you say is true, and I’m not saying that it is, then why can’t we bring the device here?" Hammond asked.

"Because we’re not really sure how it works. It could be tuned to something on that planet, or in that crypt, or even something on the mummy itself. We got it to work there, but there’s no guarantee that we can do the same thing here". Sam looked to the others for their opinions.

Daniel looked thoughtful. " She may have a point General. Even if this wasn’t an accident, if we want to reverse this, providing that’s possible, I think we have a greater chance of success there".

General Hammond looked at Janet. "Well doctor? What’s your medical opinion?"

Janet looked at the other questioning faces. "I’m not sure what to say. He’s stable for now, so moving him shouldn’t be too risky, providing we take the proper precautions. My concern is what are you going to do when you get there?"

Daniel answered that. "I think that we will have to try to use the beam one more time. It may be that it finishes the job, and heals him. Worst case is that it does nothing" (I hope - he added to himself).

"Are you sure about that Dr. Jackson?" the General asked.

"No General, I’m not. I’m not really sure about any of this. I only know that we can’t allow this to go on. Unless we blind Jack, we can’t prevent any more of these episodes, and if he has any more, it’ll probably kill him. I don’t see that we have much of a choice". 

Hammond weighed out what he had heard and seen in the last few days. While he didn’t like the options presented to him, he felt there was little choice in the matter. They had to try to save Jack. Unfortunately, they might very well kill him in the process. 

````````````````````````````````````````

Janet asked for and received permission to accompany the team on it’s mission. As they gathered in the gateroom, she checked on Jack. He was strapped to a stretcher which was in turn fastened on the top of a MALP. He had a portable EKG machine between his legs, and she had a defib. machine stowed on the MALP. She had also brought oxygen, and a medical bag with everything she could think of stuffed inside.

The Stargate roared to life, and General Hammond gave them the final go-ahead. Slowly they made their way up the ramp. Teal’c and Daniel went through first, then the MALP, then Sam and Janet. As the gate disengaged, Hammond sadly turned away. "Good luck people".

The group made good time getting to the temple. Janet kept a close eye on Jack and was pleased to see that he seemed to be holding his own. It took them all day, and well into the evening, but they finally arrived. Daniel entered and lit all of the torches. Teal’c relit the fire that had warmed them only days before. Sam heated them some rations, and Janet looked around. She was surprised at how bare the room was, with the exception of the hieroglyphics covering the walls. Not able to understand them, she moved over to look at the alter. As she came closer, she noticed blood stains on the floor. The sight shook her to the core as she realised that they had probably come from her friend. Turning away from the sight, she sat down with Sam. Teal’c and Daniel moved to join them. "So now what?" she asked.

As if on cue, all four sets of eyes turned to look at Jack who lay on the other side of the fire. He had not moved or woken during the trip. Daniel looked away first. "I think we should camp tonight, and try to use the crystal in the morning". 

Sam was not so sure. "I think we should try it now". Seeing that Daniel was about to protest, she quickly added "we don’t know that he has until morning Daniel. He’s okay now, but what if that were to change. We’re here, let’s just get this over with".

"I concur with Major Carter", Teal’c added. "We are here, and now seems as good as any other time".

Daniel thought about it and realised that they were right. Morning was at least 12 hours away, and who knew if Jack had that long. He heaved a sigh and stood. "Okay. What do you want to do. Should we just put him back on the alter?"

Sam also stood. "That seems as good a plan as any. I brought the sound generator, and it’s set to go. Teal’c, can you move the Colonel?"

Teal’c answered by lifting Jack off of the stretcher, then set him gently on the stone crypt. He moved back and joined the others in forming a circle around the altar. Sam looked at the others, who nodded their readiness. She took a steadying breath, then whispered to herself, "Here goes. Good luck Colonel". With that she pushed the power button on the generator, tuned the amplifier and turned the volume up as high as it would go. The three friends felt a familiar vibration shake the temple, while Janet reached out to Daniel for support. He flashed her a quick, reassuring smile then turned back to watch what was happening. Just as before, the vibrations turned into a sound which was fast becoming painful to hear. A beam of light appeared and shone down on Jack. Unlike the previous time however, this time it was focused. Instead of covering his body, if came down in a narrow beam that focused on his forehead. Jack opened his eyes and stared unblinking into the light above him. The rest of the team were mesmerised. Suddenly the light and the sound were gone. The four friends watched as Jack sat up stiffly, his expression blank, and his eyes staring. He swung his legs off of the alter and stood. His movements had a stiff, robotic like quality. Daniel called his name and reached out to touch his arm, but at the last moment, he pulled his hand back. Jack turned to the crypt, and reached out to the lid and started to move it effortlessly. Sam, Teal’c and Daniel watched in amazement. The three of them had experienced the weight of the stone and couldn’t believe that anyone could budge it so easily. 

As the stone crashed to the ground, Janet got her first look at the woman who was supposed to be at the root of all of this. The mummy lay with the giant crystal clasped between both hands. Her death mask was beautifully made in the Egyptian tradition. It was forged of beaten gold, and her likeness was depicted on it. The eyes were inlaid with Jade and peridot, and a tsavorite necklace hung about her neck. She appeared to have been very young and beautiful when she died, although being a Tok’ra, she was most likely very old. "She’s beautiful" Janet whispered. The others didn’t react as they were busy watching Jack. 

Jack stood and stared at the mummy for a long moment. He then reached in, and with infinite care removed the crystal from her hands. Holding it at arms length, he stared into its depths. The gem started to glow, faintly at first, then with greater intensity. When the whole crystal was lit from within, the beam returned from above. It focused on the gem which became almost blinding. The tension in the room built until it felt as though something had to give. It did. The light from the gem split. As it descended from the ceiling, hit the gem, then split into two. One beam focused on Jack, the other on the Goddess Tha’no’rine. 

The rest of the team watched as best they could. The light was becoming almost unbearable in its intensity. They could see however, that Jack’s hands were starting to shake. Janet could also spot the trickle of blood that once again ran from his nose. After that, she and the others saw nothing. A huge flash of light flared, followed by an explosion, the force driving them to the floor. For long moments nothing stirred. 

Janet came-to first. Blinking her eyes back into focus, she took in the scene. Sam, Daniel and Teal’c were already stirring as she pulled herself to her feet. They were covered in the same dust that was falling from her, and aside from a few scratches, to her they appeared to be fine. Stiffly she moved around to the other side of the alter. Jack lay face down, unmoving. She ran to his side and tried to get some response. When none was forthcoming she felt for injuries. When her initial exam showed nothing, she tucked his arms by his side, crossed his legs and rolled him to his back. She caught her breath when she saw the hundreds of tiny cuts on his face, neck and chest. The crystal had shattered and the shards had exploded outwards, catching everything in their path. Blood ran copiously from him. With the exception of a few deep ones, none of the cuts appeared too bad. It was their sheer numbers that represented a danger. Feeling for a pulse, she found it to be faint, and his breathing was shallow. 

"Teal’c" she called when she saw that he had risen up and was checking on the others. "Can you go and get me my kit please. In fact" she reconsidered, "can you bring me all of the equipment". Seeing him hurry to do her bidding, she turned back to Jack. Janet lifted Jack’s eyelids, one at a time. The pupils reacted, but still appeared sluggish. "So much for healing him", she muttered. Teal’c arrived with her bag, a cooler and some portable machinery. "Thanks Teal’c" she said. Looking up at him, she questioned "Are you alright?" 

"I am fine Dr. Frasier. The others appear to be as well. How is Colonel O’Neill?"

"I’m not sure yet Teal’c. Can you please pass me that oxygen tank". When she received it, she started the nasal canal. As she listened to his lungs, she gave a satisfied smile. The oxygen was helping, and he was breathing easier. She grabbed the BP cuff and took a reading. "Damn", she muttered. "80 over 50. That’s too low". Janet reached into the cooler and brought out a bag of saline. With the supplies in her bag, she quickly had an IV going. 

By this time, Sam and Daniel had arrived beside her, and were watching quietly, nervousness written all over their faces. Unwilling to interrupt Janet as she worked, they could only wonder at the condition of their friend. Judging by the amount of blood he appeared to be losing though, it didn’t look good. Daniel looked away, and another sight caught his eye. Grabbing Sam by the arm, he turned her towards the crypt. 

Sam caught her breath as she saw what Daniel had spotted. The mummy had turned to dust. The elaborate head-dress, and the gold breastplate lay on the hard stone at the bottom of the crypt, and the rock itself had cracked. "Is this good Daniel?" 

"I don’t know" came the reply. Daniel continued to look at the unexpected scene, when something more caught his eye. Reaching in, he picked up the breastplate. He walked slowly over to a torch to get a better look. His face appeared shocked as he looked up and signalled to Sam to come over. 

Sam looked quickly over to where Janet was still busy with Jack. Realising that there was nothing to do there, she went to Daniel. 

"Sam" he said excitedly as she approached. "This is amazing. The words on this have changed". He held up the piece of gold for her to see. 

Sam couldn’t read any of it. "What do you mean it’s changed Daniel. That thing is engraved. It can’t just rewrite itself".

"Well apparently it can. Last time we were here, it read differently. The text is completely changed. I’m not sure what it says, but I know what it doesn’t say, and that is the legend that was previously there". Daniel shook his head in amazement. "Sam, we need to take this home with us to study. I need to consult my notes to translate this". Excitement took over, and Daniel turned the golden relic back toward the torches to see it better. He started to mutter to himself, and Sam knew she had lost him for the time being. She headed back to check on Jack. 

Janet was rechecking Jack’s vital signs, and was not pleased with what she was seeing. He was still losing too much blood through the many cuts covering his body. She couldn’t put pressure on them yet though, as too much shrapnel was imbedded. She needed to stabilise him first before she could take the time to remove the shards. She reached once more into the cooler and brought out a bag of AB- blood. When she packed it, she had hoped it wouldn’t be needed, but knowing the Colonel, she had decided to err on the site of caution. Glad now that she made that decision, she started the transfusion as well. She handed the bag to Teal’c to hold, as well as the saline. Knowing he needed to feel useful, she hoped that this would help. She then grabbed tweezers and started the tricky job of removing the shards. She started on the biggest pieces so the worst of the cuts could be bandaged over, minimising future blood loss. Pausing from her task after a while, she again took Jack’s vitals. She was pleased to see an improvement. The transfusion had helped. 

 

Sam decided that the most help that she could be at this point was to provide for the others. She stoked the fire up, then grabbed some water from a canteen, and started some coffee. While she waited for it to brew, she stared at the flames. They took on an almost hypnotic quality, and before she knew it, she was asleep. 

Several hours, and a second transfusion later, Janet finally allowed herself to rest. She had managed to clean the many lacerations, and she now had Jack heavily bandaged. His vitals were reading nearly normal, and while he was running a bit of a temperature, she was not overly concerned. The fact that he was still profoundly unconscious was her main source of worry at this point. Having seen his nose bleed, and combining that with a skull fracture, she was worried about a second intercranial bleed. She would not be able to tell that without the benefit of specialised equipment, and that was back on base. Leaving Teal’c to keep an eye on the Colonel, and with orders to inform her of any changes, she sank to the floor beside Carter, and quickly joined her in sleep. 

Daniel looked over at the two female members of the team, and smiled softly. It was good to see them rest. None of them had had much sleep since the first visit to the planet. Thinking back to those first days, he recalled how relaxed they had all been, particularly Jack. Thinking about his friend jogged him out of his reverie and he walked over to check on him. Nodding a greeting to Teal’c, he looked down at the patient. Jack looked pale and worn, and huge dark circles surrounded his eyes.

A deep voice came from behind him "Dr. Frasier says that he is stable, and that if nothing more happens, we can move him tomorrow. She wants to get him back to the base as soon as possible. In the meantime, Dr. Jackson, I suggest that you get some rest as the others are. We have a long journey home in the morning. I will watch the Colonel".

"Thanks Teal’c, now that you mention it, I am kind of tired". Daniel’s comment was rather an understatement. He didn’t recall ever feeling so weary before, and Teal’c’s suggestion of rest was a good one. He lowered himself to the floor by the fire, and was almost instantly asleep. 

Teal’c surveyed the scene with satisfaction. This whole ordeal had taken a great deal out of everyone. Putting himself into a light trance, he too rested. 

The dawn greeted the group as they started to rise. Janet immediately went to Jack’s side. No changes were noted from the previous night, much to her satisfaction. While she had hoped that he might wake up, she had not really expected it. The group set about eating a quick breakfast, then they gathered up their supplies for the return trip to the base. When all was in readiness, Teal’c moved Jack to the stretcher, then he and Daniel placed him back on the MALP. When he was fully secure, the team moved out. They stopped to rest once on the way home, and Janet took advantage of the break to recheck the Colonel. His condition hadn’t changed. It was hours later when they finally reached the gate. They each took a final look around the planet, hoping to never see it again. 

All felt a sense of relief as the DHD engaged, and the gate came to life. 

General Hammond was in the Gateroom to greet them. His hopes of a fully restored team were dashed as he noticed the Colonel looking no better than when he left. If anything, he looked worse for the experience. Janet motioned to the waiting medical team to take Jack to the infirmary. Teal’c helped move his friend to the waiting gurney, and watched as they whisked him out of the room. The General looked to the remaining members of the team. "So, I take it that your trip was not successful?"

Janet spoke up. "We’re not sure exactly what happened General. I do know that Jack needs my attention right now though". With a nod to indicate that she was excused, Janet wasted no time in leaving the room.

"Major Carter, take your team to the infirmary. I will join you shortly".

"Yes Sir". She threw the General a salute, then left the room with Daniel and Teal’c. 

Janet had Jack in a gown, and in a bed by the time the team arrived. She had opted to discontinue his transfusion, but an IV still hung by his side. The EKG showed a steady, strong heartbeat. The pulse/ox monitor on his finger showed his oxygen levels were good, so she dropped the oxygen treatment as well. "How’s he doing?" Daniel asked.

"I’m just about to send him for x-rays and another MRI. Until I get those results, I really can’t tell. He seems okay otherwise. I’ve given him a broad spectrum antibiotic to treat the fever, and he seems to be responding". Janet moved away as Jack’s bed was moved by the orderlies who were to take him to x-ray. She looked over at Daniel. He seemed preoccupied by something. "What is it?" she directed at him.

Daniel looked confused for a moment. "It’s nothing, I think. I was just thinking about what we saw there, before the explosion. Something happened between Jack and the Goddess. I think it may have something to do with the changes I found on the tablet". An enlightened look crossed his face. "Wait a minute. I have an idea. Bear with me guys…….." . With that, Daniel turned and left the room. 

The General entered the room just after Daniel had vacated it. "Wasn’t that Dr. Jackson I saw leaving?" 

"Yes Sir it was. He seems to be on to something. I’m sure he will be back shortly", Sam answered.

"Very good. Well Doctor, can you tell me how the Colonel is doing?" he addressed Janet. 

"Right now I’m waiting for some test results to come in. I can tell you that he woke up on the planet, but was caught in an explosion and hasn’t regained consciousness since. He lost a lot of blood, but I transfused him and he is responding well. All of his vitals look good though. I think that it will be just a matter of time before he wakes up, barring anything unforeseen". 

The General looked worried. "What kind of explosion?"

"Well Sir, Jack was using the crystal. We don’t really know any more except that it was focused on both him, and the mummy, then it blew up in his hands. Jack was knocked out, and the mummy disintegrated". Sam looked from the General to the door as she thought she heard something. It was Daniel. He carried with him his notes from before, as well as the tablet that he had brought back from the planet. 

"I think I found our answers. I told you that the text on this had changed right? Well, I compared the two, and I think I found something. I again read the words Jack spoke. They said ‘she wanted to be returned’. I read through them just now, and I missed something before. The tablet had told the story of the Goddess’s arrival and how she had helped the people, and how they altered the stone when she died. The words Jack spoke also mentioned ‘infusing’. I didn’t mention it at the time, because it didn’t seem relevant".

"And now you think it is?" Hammond asked him.

"Yes. We know that the goa’uld and the Tok’ra use thought to control the ribbon and healing devices. What if the device is capable of receiving and storing thought. I mean…. think about it. This Tok’ra helped people. For years they came to her and she healed them. What if her soul, for lack of a better word, had infused the gem. Imagine, after years of healing, how it would have reacted to having been converted into an object of destruction. This tablet…… the words changed after the gem was destroyed. From what I can read so far, the goddess’s soul was trapped in the gem, unable to heal itself. When the survivors tried to fix it, she tried to contact them, but no-one heard. Then along comes Jack. Here he is with a head injury. That seemed to be the catalyst. The Goddess was trying to communicate with him by getting into his head. Then the beam was disrupted. She got trapped. When we got the beam to work again, she stayed, planning on using Jack to destroy the altered gem. We took him away before he recovered enough to do what she wanted. That’s why she used him to let us know. It worked too. We took him back, the gem was destroyed, and she was set free".

The others were silent. They just looked at him. "This sounds like some sort of X-file Dr. Jackson. You got all of that from reading that tablet.?" The General finally asked. 

"Not really. It is part theory, and partially based on these three contacts with her. I guess we won’t really know until Jack wakes up and tells us". Daniel was a little miffed that his theory was being dismissed so easily. He had proven himself over and over again, but he always seemed to have to fight to be believed. He was right. He knew he was. He just hoped that Jack could confirm that. 

"That’s if the Colonel remembers anything". Sam reminded him. "He couldn’t before".

As if on cue, Jack was wheeled back into the room. The orderly handed Janet the envelope containing the x-rays and MRI results. She walked to the bank of viewing lights, removed the x-rays and snapped them into place on the wall. After studying them carefully for a few minutes, she looked to the MRI results. Finally she looked at the team. "Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that the MRI readings have changed. The anomalous readings are gone. These readings are consistent with the head trauma he suffered. They do show however, that he suffered a second bleed. From the looks of this though, I don’t think any permanent damage was caused. The x-rays also indicate the presence of a fracture. Whatever that light did, it didn’t heal him".

"What’s the bottom line doctor?" inquired the General. 

"I’d say, that for now, he is going to have one heck of a headache when he wakes up, but I don’t think there will be any long term problems".

"Thank you doctor. When he wakes up, have me paged. I’ll be in my office".

"Yes Sir". As the General left, Janet turned to face the others. "You might as well go and get some rest. It could be a while". With that, Janet also left the room, with a quick word to the nurse to inform her of any changes. 

Sam knew that Daniel wasn’t ready to leave, and that he probably wanted to be alone after the reception his theory got. Signalling to Teal’c to follow, she left the room. 

Daniel looked at his friend. He walked over to Jack’s bedside and sat in the waiting chair. Smiling ruefully, he realised that this was where Jack always sat when it was Daniel in that bed. He looked closely at Jack. "I wish I knew for sure what happened Jack. I know what I read, and what I saw. I’m right. Tha’no’rine is finally at rest. Her own people probably forgot her, and the people who adopted her forsake her. . Now she is finally free, and you did it my friend". Daniel leaned over and put his hand over Jack’s. Expecting no reaction, he was surprised to feel Jack’s hand move under his. 

Jack struggled to sort through the memories buzzing inside his head. He remember falling. Daniel and him under the stars. Daniel caring for him. He saw Sam and Teal’c, then he remembered the light. After that it became blurry. He thought he remembered a voice in his head, begging for him to listen. It was so old, and sad. It wanted to go home. It wanted him to help, but he didn’t know how. His body wasn’t working, and his head ached so badly. Thinking became too hard, and he just wanted to rest, but the voice wouldn’t let him. The images became cloudier. He tried harder to remember when suddenly, they became clear again. Tha’no’rine was talking to him, this time though, the voice came from outside of his head. It came from the crystal. She thanked him for returning her. She was going home, and she was taking the crystal with her. It would destroy no-one else. He then remembered a flash, and pain. Things became fuzzy again, until he heard familiar voices. They were talking about him. One in particular stood out. He knew that voice. It was Daniel. As usual, Daniel figured out what had happened, and as usual, no-one wanted to believe him. Well, this time it would be different for his friend. Jack would see to that, as soon as he could wake up. His head hurt though as did the rest of his body. He wanted to go back to sleep, but for his friend, he would try.

Daniel felt Jack’s hand move and looked expectantly towards his face. He was not disappointed when he saw Jack’s eyes moving under their lids. The movement increased until Jack began to blink. Slowly his eyes opened. At first he seemed to be seeing nothing, and then they appeared to focus. "Jack" Daniel called softly. Slowly Jack turned his head towards the voice. The pain in his head flared with the movement, but he continued despite that. He had to make Daniel feel better, as his friend had done for him. "Jack" Daniel called again. 

Finally Jack had Daniel in view. He noticed how tired his friend looked and he knew that it was not just fatigue. "Daniel" Jack called. His voice sounded like a canon in his head, but Daniel could barely make it out. "Didn’t I tell you to get some rest? You look like Hell!" Jack gave a weak grin as he noticed Daniel’s reaction to his statement. "By the way, you were right". With a look of amazement on his face, Daniel turned to press the button that would bring Janet around. When he turned back Jack was asleep again, the effort of talking having exhausted him. 

Janet rushed into the room fearing the worst, but stopped short when she caught sight of a smug-looking Daniel Jackson. To her eye nothing had changed. "He woke up Janet, and he said that I was right". Janet couldn’t help but grin at the expression on the archaeologist's face. 

Everything was going to be all right.

 

The End

  


* * *

>   
> © January 24, 2000 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.  
> The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa’uld and all other characters  
> who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,   
> titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television,   
> Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.   
> Partnership.  
> This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and   
> solely meant for entertainment.   
> All other characters, the story idea and the story itself   
> are the sole property of the author.   
> 

* * *

  


##### once again Thank you to Chrisbod . It has been my pleasure to have met you. Your humour does wonders for my day:-) .

* * *

  



End file.
